Watching Noah talk to his clan was like watching Hero give out orders to his army. The both of them kept their heads high, knowing their place; above everyone else. They never abused the power, but they made everyone know it. It had nothing to do with arrogance, but both were natural leaders. Noah may be soft and gentle with Hero, but he was stern and dominant towards his clan. Something made Hero preen, knowing he was standing right next to Noah as he addressed his clan.

They welcomed their leader in happy hisses, though some were still cautious of Hero. Then, Noah hissed out orders on how to treat Hero. Hero's power to converse and understand other creatures allowed him to listen.

"This human next to me, is not a threat. Unless you threaten him, not only will he be able to defend himself, I would be involved. I trust that none of you would want to be punished."

The spiders fell to a silence. Hero liked seeing the differing patterns of normal spiders and cave spiders in the crowd.

"He's special. He possesses things no other human has, and he will never be as vile and disgusting as they are. You shall treat him like you treat me, for he will be my equal. He and I will get the first share of every prey, and we will be the first to receive anything in this clan. Any misbehavior and insult to him is an insult to me and you will be punished accordingly."

A spider let out a soft grumble.

"Yes, Helena?"

The hybrid hissed carefully, "What shall we refer to him as?"

Noah's furry head turned to inspect Hero carefully before he replied, "He's my equal. Have I not made that clear?"

Hisses of shock rose through the crowd. Hero and Noah did not flinch. Hero was standing with his legs shoulder-length apart, and his arms were folded behind his back. He stood like how he would address his army with, chest puffed out and chin raised. Noah was in spider form, but he was certainly the largest among them all, and stood tall over them. After a moment, Noah let out a feral snarl. Spiders quieted, and they all seemed to fear their angry alpha.

"Stop wasting my time. My ma- He has not eaten in quite a while, and I do hope we return to a freshly-stocked food pile. Is that clear?"

Hisses of agreement rang through the crowd. Some were reluctant. Noah nodded his furry head and crawled out of his den. Hero jumped after him and the crowd parted for them. A few of the males stiffened at the feminine scent, while the females bristled at the potential competitor. Hero absently rubbed at his neck, letting his scent flare out. He caught Noah huffing it in, and smirked when the spider decided to ignore it.

○

"So normal spiders prefer to be alone, while cave spiders like to be in packs. My clan is a combination of the two, and we provide for spiders who want a life surrounded by his kind. It started off quite small, but when I joined and rose up the ranks, my plans made it bigger."

Hero raised an eyebrow, "Your... Plans?"

"Well, they did not accept me at first because of my human blood. I had to prove my worth quite painfully. I guess I was torn between worlds and I did not want anyone else to experience it. The place where I got these... Spider blood, I knew what kind of hybrids they had. I just planned to encourage other creatures to make a clan like mine. A clan to accept those who were never accepted before, and maybe, those like me..."

He paused to look at Hero fondly. "We can band together to work with the humans. We can compromise so they wouldn't have to take away our homes and our people, while we don't harm any of them and just leave them alone."

Hero could not help but smile at this spider's warm heart. "So, you're doing this all for peace."

Noah looked away, his cheeks red. "Yeah... Oh, I forgot to tell you something."

The ex-general hummed. Noah gestured to their surroundings. They had walked to a forward, but oak trees turned into pine and the lush green had turned several shades darker. It was not because it was night time, but they were in a whole new biome of huge tall trees. Noah spoke, "We allow other creatures on our territory, granted they leave us alone and don't steal from us. One of them, he's just like me! He lives right around here. Come on."

He grabbed Hero's wrist and dragged him through the dark trees. They stumbled over various roots and thorns before they were faced with two boulders. They were stacked high and had a little hole to get in. Vines grew over the hole, dangling in front of the entrance like a pretty decoration. Noah bent down and hissed lowly. Hero just waited beside him until a few hisses were returned from inside the makeshift cave. A few odd noises of things falling and breaking later, a fluffy head of black hair popped out.

It was not as dark as Noah's hair, as it gave off a dark green sheen. That head was accompanied with a slightly tan face. Said face was grinning excitedly at Noah, his sharp teeth gleaming. He had green pupils with bright yellow slits. He looked to be a little on the chubby side, with his round cheeks. His skin had random patches of greenish scales.

He squeezed out of the hole and ducked his head to the both of them. Noah did as well and motioned for Hero to follow. The latter followed reluctantly. Noah just mumbled under his breath to Hero, "It's how they greet."

Hero narrowed his eyes and asked, "What exactly is he?"

The man's bubbly voice chirped out, "I'm half-creeper! What are you?"

On instinct, Hero backed away, bracing himself against the incoming explosion. Noah caught him with a hand on the small of his back. The man just looked at Hero with a pout before he peered closer. His eyes widened and he exclaimed, "You're Princess! Man, you have no idea how Mr. Pining here keeps going on and on about how pre-"

"Shut it," Noah growled.

Hero just blinked, opening and closing his mouth a few times. Noah was just behind him, fuming red-faced and staring menacingly at the man. Said man was unfazed and made suggestive faces at his friend.

"Um, well... I don't know what Noah told you about me but yeah, I guess I'm 'Princess'? My name's Hero. What's yours?"

The man looked away from his friend, who puffed out a sigh of relief. The creeper hybrid extended a hand which Hero flinched at. His smile has not faltered at all and he grinned, "I'm Hugo. Hugo Cooper. And woah, those two names are really far apart on the spectrum, know what I mean?"

Hero just smiled politely. "Well, I guess so. How did you and Noah meet?"

Both Hero and Noah had no idea they were still touching. Hugo noticed with a sly smirk, looking at the hand placed protectively on Hero's back. He looked away and leaned against his rock. "He and I go back way back. Bugger's five when I came in to the facility. When we escaped, we kind of split up but found each other again. I found him as some alpha of a clan! Amazing, isn't he?"

Hugo was playing as Noah's wingman in his little crush. Hero nodded absently at the last part but was a little puzzled on his story. He still did not ask Noah about his past since they arrived, but he did not want to ruin the spider's cheery mood when he's with him.

"So, you're best friends?"

Hugo snatched Noah to him and attempted to wrap an arm around him. He got to his toes to reach the fucking giraffe and pulled him down to a playful headlock. He ruffled Noah's black locks around, and the two laughed heartily in their little wrestle. The wrestle went into a full out playfight on the grass as Hero watched on with amusement. He took that as a yes. Watching the two grunt and try to take over the other made him think about the life he left behind in the North. He missed his small family. He missed Markus and he missed Jeb. He wondered how the latter was doing in school. His thoughts were interrupted when Noah had won the fight with a cheerful 'woo!'

He had Hugo on the ground belly-first with his arm twisted behind his back. The creeper hissed and wiggled his way from underneath his friend. He panted on the ground while Noah helped him up. Hugo looked at the two of them. "So, what can I do for you? Usually, Noah comes here with questions with the occasional rematch if he has the time. All this bull about 'controlling a clan' and 'alpha responsibilities' durhurhur..."

Noah frowned at him with mock disgust while Hero laughed behind his hand. He looked up at Noah on the question. He had no idea too. Noah was the one who brought him to Hugo. Said spider was a little lost in Hero's eyes as the shorter man looked up at him. All his initial thoughts turned to mush as he stared back fondly. Hero could not help but smile. Hugo was just standing there snickering as the two just stared at each other lovingly.

He cleared his throat the two snapped out of it. Hero's heart seemed to speed up so he just tapped his foot on the ground to calm himself down. He fiddled with the end of his shirt and looked down with a slightly tinted face. Noah snapped to Hugo and shot an apologetic look. The creeper just clicked his tongue and the spider scratched his neck awkwardly. He ducked his head, avoiding contact and said, "W-Well, I knew that Hero liked doing research on lots of stuff, and maybe he could learn more from your species. Is that alright, Princess?"

Hugo caught the nickname and smirked. The other two had not, since it was the norm for them. Hero just looked delighted, some of his young spark returning to his eyes. He may not be as smart as his brother, but he still had the trademark Persson desire for knowledge. It almost seemed to run in the family. Their father, Hero winced, had a knack for plantlife while his mother loved learning about the weather. Markus just loved knowledge in general while Hero specialized as a tactician. He grinned up at Noah and cooed, "Oh, thank you! Of course it's alright. It's just..."

Everyone softened when Hero looked at Hugo with an apologetic look. Hugo cursed, this man could have anyone at his feet doing his bidding. The creeper shook his head, he did not want the pining path Noah had chosen. Hero continued, "I don't want to offend you, Hugo. You're a really nice person, and-"

"Woah, woah, woah! Don't worry, friend. I really don't mind. Besides, if you ask me things, you'll learn what to do and what not to do when faced with one of my incredibly amazing species," the creeper boasted as he ran a hand through his hair smugly. He gestured to his cave and grinned, "How about we go inside for this talk."

Hero managed to fit through perfectly while both Hugo and Noah struggled with their size. Hero gawked at the inside. The dirt floors were dug out and replaced with wood. There were torches hanging on the walls. There were fur carpets, a few chairs and even some old books. It was more human than Noah's den back underground. Hugo gestured to a hole in a corner that was unfortunately stone. It was mined in quite nicely and led to a more bigger and furnished underground. There was an actual bed, with multiple chests scattering the room. A box in the corner had fruits and there was a furnace mined in the walls.

Hugo spoke as he fished an apple from the box, "I prefer to be in human form, unlike Noah. I've spent most of my life as a human so I got some stuff I traded in for some emeralds in the nearby village. Noah's clan go way down so they can fetch a shit ton of ores. Make yourselves at home. Well, go ahead Hero but Noah, try your best."

Hugo laughed as he dodged a blow from Noah. Hero just plopped himself in a cushion pile in the corner. Noah sat himself next to Hero and Hugo dragged a chair to sit in front of them. "Would you like to see me in creeper form?"

Hero smiled sheepishly, "Only if you're up for it."

Hugo just rolled his eyes in mock sass and pulled up the most feminine voice he could master, "Girl, I'd do anything for you! Just ask, honey, and you shall receive."

Hero laughed at his act while Noah grumbled into a pillow in jealousy. Hugo stood from the chair and shut his eyes, a smile still clear on his face. Green light absorbed his body and the glowing shape shifted. Hero watched in awe while Noah in boredom. In the human's place, was a rather chubby creeper. Hero forced himself not to flinch. The only time he had been this close to a creeper was that time when he ventured out of his village walls with his brother.

The creeper's beady eyes just looked at Hero oddly. He then opened his mouth in a gasp, showing off his distinct fangs. He started hissing, and almost immediately, Hero's mind translated so it was in English for him.

"I saw you once! Way before I met Noah, you came into the forest with a younger boy! You nearly hit me with a fucking fence. But that time, something told me not to harm you or something. It's a small world."

Noah listened attentively and turned to translate it to Hero, but the latter just raised a hand to shush him. Hero turned to him with a smile, "It's alright. I can understand him."

"Since when?!"
"You go, girl."

Hero just winked at Noah, who stared at him dumbfounded. The ex-general looked at Hugo and reluctantly hissed. Both Hugo and Noah watched in awe as he spoke in fluent hiss speak, "So... That was you, eh? Sorry about the broken fence. I was... Naïve."

Hugo looked extremely proud and he preened under Hero's hissing. Noah was still shocked, staring with mouth wide open.

○

The two waved goodbye to Hugo, who grinned back before scrambling to his cave. Hero had learnt a lot about creeper behavior, that would benefit him if he was on the run. The territory was huge, so they still had time to spare. The moon was still up high in the sky, gracing the night with all its beauty. Frogs croaked and crickets chirped in the forest, and the loudest sound Hero could hear were the crushing of leaves under their feet.

He felt at peace.

Noah turned, looking back at Hero for him to catch up. The two jogged over to a river, and Noah quickly shifted. He ducked his head and drank, while Hero moved to sit next to him. He just stared at the spider, observing and taking in his distinct body. His body was plain black, but shades of blue covered part of his abdomen, head and legs. Stripes of dark purple and gray covered those blues in pretty swirls. Hero's eyes went up to Noah's head. It was so fluffy.

His hand went up stroked Noah's head slowly.

The spider stilled and raised his head gently. Multiple glowing red eyes turned to stare at him in confusion. Hero did not make eye contact, and started petting the spider. Noah's eyes shut and a rumble filled the air. He tucked his legs underneath him and laid down, purring in content under Hero's hand.

They both felt at peace.

○

Noah needed to start the clan's meal, and they both reluctantly left the river to trek back to the caves. Noah told him that they could use one of the tunnels connecting the entire territory, but that would be too long. Noah was still in spider form and Hero was happily sitting on his back. Spiders were not as prickly as he though they would be, Noah was soft as fuck. Noah was full-out sprinting, and Hero struggled to stay on. The two's playful hisses and cheers could be heard throughout the forest. The spiders were confused as to why their leader was treating their human guest like he would an equal.

They stopped when they reached the hill, which was crawling with spiders of both types. They wrestled, weaved webs and hunted. Some were still lazy and just lazed around, napping under the moon. As Noah approached still in spider form, the spiders cleared the way for him and Hero. The ex-general fixed his messy hair rustled from the wind, and tried to shake away all the adrenaline. Noah had stopped right in front of a bed of leaves, so Hero just halted next to him. He unconsciously leaned on the spider's furry body for comfort, as every other spider had their eyes on him. There was a flash in the crowd, and Helena stood there also staring.

She dipped her head respectfully, and Hero returned it with an acknowledging nod. Her eyes went to her leader, and Hero could easily recognize want in her eyes. Her crush was rather obvious. The spiders around her just shook their head, Noah had taught him it was the equivalent of sighing.

A group bigger spiders of both kinds had come forward. Two dragged a large cobweb net full of various insects, and another pair had fruits and vegetables in theirs. The remaining four had game on their backs, and mouths. They laid all the food down on the leaves, carefully separated from each other. Hero stared at pile of berries in one corner. Noah, however, was eyeing the dead animals in the pile. The spiders stepped back in a line, awaiting their leader. Noah bent down to sniff cautiously at the food, before grabbing a doe from the meat pile. He dragged it to his side before looking up at Hero. The ex-general caught his drift and took the berries.

Before they ate, Noah nodded to the rest, and carefully, one by one, they took their share. They never took too little, nor too much. There was a supervising spider on Noah's other side making sure everyone had an equal fill. Noah had told Hero she was Twig, the one placed in charge of food supply. Once everyone had taken their share to their own places to eat, Twig set aside her own share before spinning the remaining in bundles of web. Hero learnt that she put the leftovers underground so they could stay fresh, they would be used for those who needed it. Some parts could be used as herbs as well.

Noah had dragged his kill on his back over to the hill, and Hero followed with the berries floating behind him. Noah had not noticed, but passing spiders just stared at Hero in awe and shock. When Noah turned to check up on him though, he nearly dropped his carcass. He quickly returned to normal, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his clan. He just shook his head and Hero laughed.

They got to Noah's den on the hill, a nice small shelter made of random pieces of wood stuck together with web. Leaves covered the top, like a small hut. Pitying Noah a little, Hero silently casted a few charms to make the shelter more sturdy and comfy. There was a tiny furnace in the corner, hidden among a few sticks. A narrow hole was dug in the dirt and layered with furs; a makeshift bed. Hero still chose to sit on a pile of leaves, and Noah dragged a fur on his shoulders.

Hero hummed appreciatively and was about to eat his berries. Noah had interrupted though, "Do you want some of my doe?"

Noah was still in spider form, and hissed since he found out Hero could understand him either way. Hero shook his head with a fond smile, even when Noah gestured to the furnace. The pair ate silently, enjoying the companionable silence and each other's company.

Yeah, Hero could live like this.